We present a clustering analysis of 370 high-confidence Hα emitters (HAEs) at z = 2.23. The HAEs are detected in the Hi-Z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS), a large-area blank field 2.121μm narrow-band survey using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Wide Field Camera (WFCAM). Averaging the two-point correlation function of HAEs in two ∼1° scale fields [United Kingdom Infrared Deep Sky Survey/Ultra Deep Survey (UDS) and Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) fields] we find a clustering amplitude equivalent to a correlation length of r ₀ = 3.7 ± 0.3h ^-1Mpc for galaxies with star formation rates of ≳7M _⊙yr ^-1. The data are also well-fitted by the expected correlation function of cold dark matter (CDM), scaled by a bias factor: ω _HAE = b ²ω _DM where b=2.4-0.2+0.1. The corresponding 'characteristic' mass for the haloes hosting HAEs is log(M _h/[h ^-1M _⊙]) = 11.7 ± 0.1. Comparing to the latest semi-analytic galform predictions for the evolution of HAEs in a ΛCDM cosmology, we find broad agreement with the observations, with galform predicting an HAE correlation length of ∼4h ^-1Mpc. Motivated by this agreement, we exploit the simulations to construct a parametric model of the halo occupation distribution (HOD) of HAEs, and use this to fit the observed clustering. Our best-fitting HOD can adequately reproduce the observed angular clustering of HAEs, yielding an effective halo mass and bias in agreement with that derived from the scaled ω _DM fit, but with the relatively small sample size the current data provide a poor constraint on the HOD. However, we argue that this approach provides interesting hints into the nature of the relationship between star-forming galaxies and the matter field, including insights into the efficiency of star formation in massive haloes. Our results support the broad picture that 'typical' (≲L ^{{black star}}) star-forming galaxies have been hosted by dark matter haloes with M _h ≲ 10 ¹²h ^-1M _⊙ since z ≈ 2, but with a broad occupation distribution and clustering that is likely to be a strong function of luminosity.